I vastly enjoyed the history and ghost stories contained in this book. It inspired us to add on Rosedown Plantation to our trip through the area to visit Myrtles Plantation. The historical details were explored in such a way as to be informative without being textbook dry. The ghosts made me shiver but they weren't cheesy in any way. This was a lovely, light read to accompany our road trip. ( )

Jill Pascoe's Louisiana's Haunted Plantations is a nonfiction book that chronicles the ghost stories that surround 13 plantations in Louisiana. Each of these plantations (with the exceptions of those burnt down) can be visited and/or used as a bed and breakfast still today. The author uses her research and various eyewitness accounts of the owners and workers to build her chapters. She includes black and white pictures of the various plantations and vividly describes the physical nature of each one in detail. For each plantation, she gives the general historical information, then begins weaving her tales of the people who now haunt the premises; she puts the ghosts in historical perspective (for example, she tells the story of Chloe and the oleander cake from the Myrtles Plantation). She then explains the paranormal activity that surrounds each ghost today. Some of the featured plantations are: The Myrtles Plantation, Woodland Plantation, Frogmore Plantation, Pitot House, and Oak Alley Plantation.

This book is very captivating for those interested in Louisiana history and the supernatural occurrences that are thought to surround it. For anyone who has gone to visit a "haunted" graveyard in New Orleans or visited any eerie old places for a good scare, the content of this book is perfect. The writing is simple and very descriptive, without being too flowery. The stories seem well-researched, and they are both creepy and heart-breaking at once. Pascoe captures the spirit of these Louisiana plantations well.

This book would be interesting in a Louisiana history class, but could raise some objections because of the supernatural content. A Louisiana library program with a Halloween theme would do well to feature this book because it is both scary and relevant to our locale. ( )